Top members of the Austrian government were in attendance Monday at Vienna's Great Synagogue, the Stadttempel, on the 30th anniversary of a terrorist attack by Arabs against Jews who were celebrating a Bar Mitzvah.

Speaking at the ceremony were members of the Austrian parliament, government officials, and the Chief Rabbi of Austria, Paul Haim Eisenberg, who conducted prayers and said Kaddish for the two victims of the August 29, 1981 attack. It was the second time in two years that the synagogue had been attacked by Arab terrorists.

The attack, which security officials said was premeditated, was carried out by by two supporters of the Abu Nidal terror group, as a large group was celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Jan Stiller, son of Austrian textile magnate Alfred Stiller.

Security officials said at the time that the terrorists were aware of the event, and chose to attack the synagogue on that specific day in order to kill as many Jews as possible.

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